


You must have been born reciting the most poetic ride or die death wish

by justusingwords



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Asami & Opal Friendship, Blood and Injury, Bolin & Korra Friendship, Crime Fighting, Daredevil AU, Drama, F/F, Friendship, Light Angst, Mild Smut, Minor Violence, One Shot, Romance, Some Humor, Vigilantism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 09:40:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29133453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justusingwords/pseuds/justusingwords
Summary: A Daredevil AU oneshot. She had the best sob story that made all the girls coo and melt with sympathy before tumbling into bed with her. Then after the night of excitement and fascination was over, she’d let them do the walk of shame out her apartment and straight out of her life. It was all pretty neat. That way, she didn’t have to introduce her idiot of a best friend or tell them she was a vigilante.
Relationships: Bolin/Opal (Avatar), Korra/Asami Sato, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 113





	You must have been born reciting the most poetic ride or die death wish

**Author's Note:**

> Everybody loves a vigilante piece, right? The title is from ‘Propaganda' by BANKS.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own the storyline of Daredevil or any of the characters from The Legend of Korra. I’m just really into writing. Watch out for Aussie slang or terms. All mistakes are my own.

It was a Thursday night and the sky had since pulled its curtain shut to the world, cloaking it in darkness. A little dramatic maybe, though it wasn’t too far from the truth for Korra on any given day.

She couldn’t remember the intensity of the bright yellow sunflowers that had lined the fence of her childhood home anymore or savour the way her father’s kind eyes always used to shine at her. Those memories had been lost to the anger and bitterness that pulsed in her veins every waking moment after the accident. It took a lot of work and even more time for her to let go of it, and by then, those painted pictures had already turned to ashes. But she still loved the song her mother used to sing by her bedside because she refused to sleep and found comfort in the smell of her favourite seaweed noodles as a child.

Here in the real world, she was an author struggling to string together her second novel after the success of her first. She was Korra, sitting in the back booth of a dive bar with two fingers of awful whiskey she knew would burn on its way down her throat. She swirled the liquid around the bottom of her glass a little and listened to Bolin squeeze his way through the usual crowd with half-hearted apologies, an amused smile on the corner of her lips.

“Korra, buddy, my bestest friend-” He began to wheedle as soon as he dropped down beside her.

“Spirits.”

“I haven’t told you anything yet!”

“Can’t wait.” She deadpanned, knocking back her drink in one go.

“Hey T-Rex, another two of whatever that was,” Bolin pointed at her empty glass as he bellowed at the man behind the bar with salt and pepper hair.

“And put it on my tab.” He added as an afterthought.

Korra settled back against the cushioning that squeaked with her every move and tried to prepare herself for whatever her best friend was going to throw at her. If the last 6 years of their lives together proved anything, she knew he was either a) going to admit he did something really stupid he thought was cool at the time or b) attempt to set her up with someone he met through his friend’s cousin’s brother’s neighbour.

She wasn’t sure which option he was leaning towards, and the rapid heartbeats she could hear from his chest wasn’t very assuring. Neither was the way he nervously drummed his fingers against his knee that she had half a mind to slap at.

“Just tell me.” She rolled her eyes.

“Right. So that girl I told you about, the one who gave me a beat down in the middle of the market, I bumped into her again. Like, 3 hours ago. She was so cute and looked perfect in sweats and a beanie - her name is Opal by the way. She said yes to a date because I’m amazing, and she’s on her way here with her best friend. She texted saying she was 5 minutes away as I came in. Surprise?!”

“Bolin, what the fuck, you put me down for some kind of double date.” She said flatly.

“She was holding a worn copy of your novel so I know she has great taste in books, and she seems really awesome?” He tried.

Korra could only muster a half-hearted growl, and jabbed a finger at the man’s chest, taking extra care to make it hurt.

“Well congratulations, you’ve bombed this first date because I’m just a blind asshole.”

Bolin scoffed as he moved in to wrap a strong arm around her shoulder and squeezed briefly.

“You can keep selling yourself short, but I know the truth. My best friend has a mushy heart of gold, is weirdly charming and scares the living daylights out of the crooks of Hell’s Kitchen.” He declared proudly.

“Yeah, ok _fanboy_. Now get off of me before your date arrives.” She shoved him away fondly.

It was only moments later that she sensed two new people entering the premise, their heels clicking against the sticky floorboards as they stopped briefly at the bar to place their orders. She gripped her folded walking stick that was laid out on their table for show and cleared her throat.

“They just ordered, you might wanna flag them down.”

“Damn, I wish I had super senses too.” He grumbled as he leaned out the booth at an odd angle and waved at the women with all the enthusiasm of an over-excited boy.

An hour later, Korra had migrated to the bar and was perched on a stool waiting for her last drink of the night. A coke to help sober her up for the long night ahead as her alter ego, and also because it went hand in hand with the basket of fries she had inhaled in world record time.

Bolin and Opal had surprisingly hit it off with little help from Korra and the best friend, Asami. The awkward round the table introductions were knocked out quickly and they established that there was an author, a bounty hunter, a marketing manager, and a CEO (plus engineer) between the four of them. After that, it was mainly comfortable chatter and laughter, and deep down she was happy for her best friend. It was about time he met someone who didn’t step all over him like a door mat. This Opal seemed promising, but she didn’t have a read of the woman who came with her.

Her perfume was probably one of the first things she noticed about said woman. It was light, feminine, with only the smallest hints of floral, and was a welcome change from the scent of sad drunks and sweaty men. The only traits she could really pick out was that Asami was calm and seemed incredibly smart. She would chime in sometimes, yet was comfortable staying on the sideline as she sipped at the gin and tonic she had been nursing since she sat down.

While she was polite, there was no desperate attempt to befriend her like she was expecting. She was used to men thinking she might be an easy target, or women approaching her because they were intrigued by the ‘mysterious’ aura that she apparently exuded in spades (Bolin’s words, not hers). And because she was only human, she’d usually let the women constantly brush up against her and vie for her attention. She had the best sob story that made all the girls coo and melt with sympathy before tumbling into bed with her. Then after the night of excitement and fascination was over, she’d let them do the walk of shame out her apartment and straight out of her life. It was all pretty neat. That way, she didn’t have to introduce her idiot of a best friend or tell them she was a vigilante.

This, this was different and Korra liked that the two friends didn’t seem to become bumbling messes when addressing her and her blindness. It was always nice to be treated like a normal person, even if they had no idea she knew Asami had been tapping morse code at Opal for majority of the night. They were mostly about Bolin being funny in an awkward way, and how he seemed like a genuinely nice guy.

Korra was brought out of her musings when Asami slid onto the stool next to her gracefully and put her empty glass down with a gentle ‘thunk’.

“You had the right idea in bailing on those two, however, minus points for not inviting me.”

“No pity points for the handicapped?” She asked as she pulled the coke closer to herself, some of it sloshing out the sides.

“Doesn’t apply when the individual is more than capable.”

Korra’s mouth spread into a small smile, kind of impressed with Asami and her character.

“And how does one get the perfect score?”

“Jury’s still out for that one.” Was the soft chuckle that she got in response.

“That’s fair. I think I’ll start with a drink though.” Korra offered, jabbing her thumb in the vague direction of the beer taps.

“Good choice.”

Even though she couldn’t technically see things any longer, she had developed a radar sense that formed mental pictures of her surroundings. So no, she didn’t know if Asami was wearing cashmere or wool, or if she favoured a particular colour from her outfit, she just chose to enjoy the atmosphere between them. It didn’t hurt that she also liked how they knocked knees while sitting beside one another.

She ended up staying a while longer by the bar with this woman who radiated a quiet confidence and kindness that she couldn’t quite shake. It was almost a relief when the smart watch on her wrist began vibrating for the alarm she’d set, signalling the end of their night together. She didn’t anticipate the kiss on her cheek in lieu of goodbye, though she savoured the softness of it.

“Goodnight, Asami.”

-

_‘In ABC News exclusive, the so-called ‘Devil of Hell’s Kitchen’ has been leaving a trail of broken bodies these past few months. Reports are coming in hot that the people landing in hospitals have all been linked to Amon, the head of the Equalists-’_

It was all everyone was talking about these days in the office, at her favourite café and the whispers even followed her when she took her favourite shortcut through that cute little park. No matter how the story was spun, New York city always seemed to be taken with this vigilante who had it out for the unsavoury types that terrorised the general public, and the police were scrambling to catch up as always.

After all this time, Asami Sato wasn’t exactly sure what to feel about this person who had taken it upon themself to clean the streets in such an unconventional and vicious way. Brave was probably one of the nicer words to describe The Devil, yet for some, the vigilante only invoked fear and there was a fair bit of that going around.

When her office door suddenly swung shut, the woman snapped to attention and froze at the figure that stood by the doorframe. They were dressed in black from head to toe with the top half of their face completely covered, eyes included. In the years The Devil had been guarding the streets, they had never crossed paths before because there was no reason to, and she wasn’t sure what had changed.

Although that was the case, seeing her in person for the very first time wasn’t what she had expected. She was smaller than she had imagined, shorter than herself it seemed, though she knew better than to underestimate her given the whole city was aware of how much damage she could do. The limited lighting in her office space didn’t allow her to see much detail outside of the practical outfit, and she suspected that the vigilante preferred it that way.

As tired as she was, Asami’s mind was still sharp and present as she closed the report she was reading and leaned back into her fancy chair.

“I’d like to think my actions and corporation shouldn’t warrant a visit from The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.”

“They don’t.”

There was a beat of silence afterwards where Asami admired the femininity of the voice. It was both smooth and strong, maybe a little huskier to hide the identity of the woman.

“I want you to make something for me.”

The raven-haired woman blinked a few times in surprise at this, and one of her first thoughts was ‘why now?’. Her corporation had been around for a while, being one of the best in its field, so it was curious that she was only approached now.

“My plate is quite full-”

“Future Industries is already ahead of its schedule, just as you reported to the board this afternoon. Is a little side project too much for you on top of the ones you’ve been tinkering with in the workshop three blocks west?”

Her heart faltered for a second when those words reached her ears and a spark of unease rose to the surface at having no knowledge of being watched. Asami pushed herself away from her messy desk, stood up and looked straight at the woman who clung to the shadows, not the least impressed by where this was headed.

“I don’t respond well to threats.” She stated firmly.

The air between them was thick with tension that felt like it would bubble over until the vigilante stepped up towards her where the light from her desk lamp splashed across the side of her chiselled face. Asami took a moment to examine the sharp jawline that was peppered in dark bruises and scrapes, and it made some of the anger in her simmer away.

“You seem like a woman who can handle herself, Sato.” The Devil countered with a tilt of the head.

It was almost like she knew Asami had a black belt in both Krav Maga and Karate, but she couldn’t allow herself to go down that rabbit hole. At least, not while the cause of an oncoming headache was standing there.

“And I just need a suit. A bulletproof one.”

-

Bolin was quiet for a moment before he swivelled to her completely.

“Korra, I think I hit my head against a brick wall and-” Her friend sounded so genuinely confused that she decided to put him out of his misery.

“You didn’t. I said I went to Asami as The Devil and asked her to make me a bulletproof suit.” She repeated, continuing her push-ups from the floor, liking the way her muscles began to ache with each one.

Working her body to crazy limits and sweating her stress and frustrations out was something she was good at, excelled at even. Plus, it was a good way to distract herself when she knew Bolin was going to have a fit.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but are you insane?! We’ve only gotten to know her through Opal these last few months and she’s really really awesome, which isn’t the point. What if your enemies work it out?”

Korra had already considered all the angles, and even if she could admit this wasn’t the best plan, it was the only plan for now.

“Oh spirits, what if _Asami_ finds out who you are and then finds out I’m your trusty sidekick and then tells Opal? We’ll be ruined, Korra! Korra, this is a no go, we need to think of something else.” The speed at which he spoke kept increasing to match the frantic movements of his flailing arms.

“This is bad, bud, this could be real bad. Did she recognise you, how did she react, tell me everything!” He practically shouted.

The man sitting on her couch was as loyal and sweet as one could get, but she couldn’t help the exasperated roll of her eyes.

“Breath, Bo.”

The thing was, his panic wasn’t completely unjustified, Korra was only as composed as she was because she had the advantage of time and space to digest everything before dumping it on him.

She thought about her first night as an amateur vigilante who got her ass handed to her and was left on the streets until a homeless man woke her up the next morning. She also remembered her own erratic heartbeats when Bolin clumsily ran thread and needle through her skin her second week in. She had lost count of the number of shirts she had thrown out because she couldn’t wash the blood out, and she didn’t want to think about how many pairs of pants she had ripped. More than anything else, she was only a human being that bled and bruised like the best of them, and the clothes she wore could no longer be considered protection.

When she finished her last set of push-ups, she picked herself off the ground and sat beside her best friend, sharing his warmth.

“Bo, we both know that I need this armour. I’m not made of steel and you’re not a doctor.” It was said so obviously, yet it completely flew over their heads at times. It was a little harder to ignore now though, since she knew exactly how it felt to be the tattered punching bag hanging at the gym.

“You’re my family and the only person I trust, except this isn’t your forte. Asami is great at what she does and she’s got a good head on her shoulders. I at least trust that.”

She felt Bolin look at her long and hard, probably trying to absorb the facts they had both pushed to the side for a while. And she readily gave him that time to see things from her perspective.

“Well, I guess it would be pretty cool if we had her on our side to make you new toys and tech.” Bolin begrudgingly agreed after pulling a sad looking pout.

Korra smiled gently as she patted the top of his head and then playfully flicked the twirly lock of hair that always drooped down his forehead no matter how much product he used. Then she headed for the exposed beam that ran along her loft and cocked her head up at it.

“Wanna see who can do more pull ups?” She challenged.

Bolin took the bait like clockwork and bounded over to her excitedly. “Whoever loses shouts dinner tomorrow.”

“I’m in the mood for a good steak, a tomahawk probably.” Korra smirked.

The rest of the night was spent trash talking each other along with a couple of cheap beers. They didn’t even talk about the fact that Korra admitted to trusting Asami in any capacity, no matter how little.

-

The next time Asami met The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen, it was as shady and nerve-wracking as the first.

The soft rattle of the tools that hung neatly on the far-left wall made her heart stop and her fingers scrunch at the edge of her prototype drawing. It was a courtesy warning even if it nearly sent her to an early grave, and she made out the person on the other side of the workshop. With the front door and gate locked, she wasn’t going to waste her time trying to figure out exactly how The Devil appeared without a sound or how long they had been standing there for.

“You’re early.” She muttered, brushing unruly tresses away from her face and behind an ear.

She probably looked like a mess with dark rings under her eyes that she hoped her makeup covered and a slightly slumped posture. She was beyond tired with a potential contract in discussion, endless board meetings and this little distraction that was dumped on her plate.

“I was excited.” The response was as flat as it could get.

“Glad to hear it.” Asami sniped, the confidence in her voice surprising even herself for a moment.

She wasn’t usually one to back down in a fight because she was more than capable of looking after herself, but having the city’s vigilante in a confined space probably wouldn’t end well. The Devil was clearly dangerous, though the strange thing was that she didn’t feel fear prickle at her skin. Instead, it was the type of anxiousness she felt before presenting a new product and the excitement that drummed against the front of her mind when she knew she was on the verge of a breakthrough.

Her emotions were pulling her in all different directions as she dragged the dress form mannequin to the middle of her workshop where The Devil was waiting. Straight away, Asami noticed the flecks of crimson on dark skin and how the woman was favouring one side. And instead of staring at the thick rope wrapped from strong forearms to knuckles that were caked in dirt and blood, she turned to the suit.

“I’m just an engineer and this isn’t my specialty, but-”

“You’re not _just_ anything, Sato. Now tell me about it.”

If they weren’t in their current situation, she might’ve found those words sweet. For now though, she’d settle for the compliment.

“The black parts will offer you the most protection, while the red is slightly weaker and I’ve had to compensate with extra padding. They can both do with some further refinements though.” She explained as she ran her hand across the lightweight material.

Asami eventually trailed back up to the top to rest her palm on the smooth surface. “I get the feeling people aim for the head a lot, so the helmet is made from carbon nanotube-based alloy, making it almost indestructible.”

“The ears weren’t necessary.” The shorter woman poked at them awkwardly.

“Devils have horns, you of all people should know that.”

There was no smart remark in return.

“And this?”

Asami looked to the holster on the left thigh and bit her lip gently as she pulled a box out from under the bench and flicked it open.

“For your billy club.”

If the vigilante was surprised by the extra toy she hadn’t even thought to ask for, it didn’t show. (Not that Asami was particularly gifted in reading expressions from only the bottom half of a face).

“I imagine this was more up your alley.”

“Quite.” The older of the two picked up the weapon, twisted so that it came apart as two batons and then held them out.

The masked figure simply touched her fingertips to the baton, feeling the smoothness of it until they dropped off at the end. She wasn’t looking in the direction of the weapon, in fact, it felt like the gaze behind the black cloth was a million miles away. It seemed like an odd way to gauge the goods when a normal person would’ve inspected it from every single angle they could think of. Asami was surprised when the batons were plucked from her hands and then gripped into darker ones. The vigilante gave them a few test swings that didn’t hold too much force and even twirled them a couple times to get used to the shape and weight.

The CEO of Future Industries watched the uncomfortable looking motions that were hindered by the placement of strong ropes that she recognised, and filed away the fact that the woman was most likely proficient in Muay Thai.

“Thank you.” The Devil finally spoke, her voice lighter - a little breathier.

The corners of her mouth lifted into a small smile before her eyes cut down to what she could only describe as a mess.

“I have a first aid kit for…all of that.” She drew a circle with her pointer finger, gesturing at her entire being.

She could look past the dirty footprints on the concrete she’d be cleaning afterwards, but the way her blood steadily trickled was something she couldn’t ignore. Especially not when whatever relationship they had unwittingly formed meant she’d probably be seeing more of her in the future.

The vigilante’s jaw clenched even further, highlighting the sharpness of her bone structure. “How are you with stitches?” She exhaled uncomfortably.

“I’m good with my hands.” She said with a shrug.

“Very reassuring,” There was less bite in her voice than all the other one-liners she seemed to throw at her.

However, that didn’t prepare her for the moment The Devil pulled her scrap of a shirt up to reveal an array of purple and ugly green contusions that led to a deep gash at the hip and some smaller wounds. All the other discoloured scars and imperfections across rippling muscles formed an oddly fascinating galaxy of constellations. Asami grimaced at the sight and felt a flicker of guilt for the doubt she harboured about the woman and her ways. Because actually seeing the aftermath of the violence up close revealed another side of the story she hadn’t previously considered.

-

She had been ordered on bedrest by Bolin once he found out what happened, and he hadn’t stopped beating himself up for not being there to help her when she needed it. The 28 year old felt the storming rain cloud that followed him around that first day and really wished that he wouldn’t. The injuries from her last patrol weren’t exactly measly scratches, yet they weren’t life threatening either. In fact, she counted Lady Luck on her side since there was no damage to her internal organs.

The whole resting and healing up process was simply annoying because Korra felt useless lying there like a potato. She couldn’t work on her novel which involved sitting up for hours, and exercising wasn’t even an option with her best friend keeping a hawk-like eye on her.

So she resorted to listening to the sounds of her city from the confines of her couch as she fingered at the stitches Asami Sato had worked on.

She rolled her eyes at the woman from the ground floor who was nagging at her husband to put the toilet seat down, and swore she could smell the freshly baked cookies Mrs Walker pulled out of the oven from down the hallway. (It didn’t hurt to know that the old lady would be delivering a plate to her within the next half an hour like the perfect grandma that she was). She also appreciated the excited yips from a few dogs and kept track of the pitter patter of rain drops thumping against the windowpane that eventually dripped onto the fire escape below.

The amount of detail she could sense comforted her at times, reassuring her that she still had a grasp on everyday life. It kept her grounded and made her feel less lonely even if the symphony of noises got chaotic at times. It was her tether to everything that she was as Korra and The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.

But after taking it easy for an entire week, she was utterly _bored_ and itched to step out as her alter ego again. When Bolin wasn’t playing mother hen, they’d walk the streets during the day to get intel on the plans and happenings of the city, playing catch up. Then after her best friend left to do recon for his own cases, she’d sneak out a little more to try and get the bigger picture of what Amon was up to.

It was just that having too much free time to herself could get dangerous because it meant her mind went to places that she tried to lock away for a reason. A good example of this was that she finally understood what it was that surrounded her and Asami when they were in the same vicinity as each other. The times they had met up for drinks, dinner and that one horrible pottery lesson they thought would be cool, had been comfortable. She didn’t have to force herself to play nice or find ways to keep her engaged like she usually did when women draped themselves all over her. Now when her phone beeped with a notification, it wouldn’t solely be Bolin being the lovable idiot that he was or her agent chasing for her second draft.

Korra liked Asami’s directness and how she didn’t skirt around things when others might find it too awkward. She also couldn’t complain when she felt the older woman’s gaze linger on her, because it didn’t feel like the pity stares that were thrown at her by strangers.

That night her friend offered to patch her up had most certainly changed things between them, or maybe it changed something inside Korra.

It was hard to forget the way Asami’s long fingers gently prodded and felt at her torso to gauge how much work would need to go into cleaning and fixing the wounds. Even the smell of metal and engine oil that embodied the workshop became nothing next to Asami’s soothing perfume. In all honestly, it probably had to do with the amount of blood she had lost, but she was 83.7% sure Asami had enjoyed touching her abs (for medical purposes). That was kind of encouraging given the fact that she spent a great deal of time maintaining her body and somebody else was appreciative of it.

Before her thoughts could run off into more dangerous territory, her senses spiked and she lifted an arm up to protect herself from whatever it was heading her way. The apple bounced off the side of her head anyway and rolled across the floor as Bolin released a nervous laugh from behind the kitchen island.

“Oops? I thought you’d catch it in time, you know, awesome reflexes and all.”

She narrowed her eyes at him as she pressed on the tender spot. “Just for that, you’re ordering tonight’s take out while I wash up.”

“I’ll take care of it.” He promised as he continued puttering around in her kitchen like she didn’t know he was waiting for her to leave so he could dig into her favourite ice cream.

Korra stepped out of the shower a little while later, feeling more refreshed as she went about changing the dressings on her body. The process was slow and mundane, and she muttered curses the whole way through when three firm knocks on the door made her perk up.

Dinner was here.

She walked over to the dining table in basketball shorts and a loose singlet, a towel around her shoulders to catch the water dripping from her messy bob cut. The author then moaned something inappropriate at the smell of pulled pork, lime and spices that reached her nose.

“You ordered my favourite tacos? I’m going to kiss you.” she professed loudly to the ceiling.

Three varied sets of footsteps and some feminine giggles was the only response she got, and Korra furrowed her brows as she turned slowly to avoid pulling any stitches.

“I wouldn’t be opposed to it.” Asami’s velvety voice told her she wasn’t joking.

From almost 10 metres away, Korra could practically hear Bolin’s inner excitement at his not so subtle meddling. She hadn’t even breathed a word to him about her interest in Asami yet and he still read her like a book.

-

Bolin was literally kicked out of the loft after dinner, and it didn’t take much convincing for Opal to follow. Asami opted to stay under the guise of catching up with Korra and offered to see the other two friends off. At the front door, Opal wrapped Asami in a warm hug, slapped her backside gleefully and then tugged her boyfriend away.

When she made it back to the living area, Korra was already sitting on the floor by the coffee table with both hands wrapped around a cup of tea. She looked so young.

“I know Bolin kind of sprung this on you, I’m sorry if you weren’t up for any company.”

She simply waved the apology away. “Don’t worry about it. He was going to drive me up the wall sooner or later with his hovering. I’m glad he invited you guys.”

The CEO had felt kind of guilty when Korra was surprised by both hers and Opal’s presence in her own home. That embarrassed expression after her teasing comment though? Not so much. She was actually quite proud of herself for the blatant flirting after finally deciding to woman up. So she went for it, and she wasn’t disappointed with the results.

There was this strength about Korra that pulled her in. She was blind, yes, but she didn’t let it define her, and reached for the stars in a way other people couldn’t even compare with. There was always passion behind her words and the humour she let her in on was so attractive it made Asami speechless at times. It was also true that even though the author was physically stunning, it was nowhere near the top of the list on why she felt the way she did about her.

“Are you feeling any better, Korra? You do still look a little pale.” Asami noted, as she eyed the dryness of her lips that she wanted to brush her fingers against.

“I’ll be fine, I’m built like an ox, Asami. And how’s life been while I was down with the flu? Exciting? Terrible? A complete mess?”

Asami laughed, “Yes.”

The dark skinned woman quietened at that answer and tapped at the side of her half empty cup a few times.

“Is everything ok?”

Asami had brief flashbacks of bloodied bandages, quiet grunts and tight muscles.

“I’m not sure yet, but I have more important things to worry about.” She answered with a brave smile, staring right into those intense blue eyes.

-

Fighting in jeans, a long-sleeved shirt and a scarf over half of her face was _stupid_. It was uncomfortable and she probably looked like a half baked wannabe to those who were really looking to critique her. She had initially started off in some loose pants that she thought would give her the flexibility she needed, a standard rugged hoodie and bandana over her nose and mouth. She had learnt that they were terrible ideas pretty quickly and traded them for her current outfit after a trial run through a sparring match with Bolin. The elbow and knee pads came in a little after that.

Now, with Asami Sato’s brilliance and skills, she donned a proper full-body suit that felt worthy of being the Daredevil which the city had now taken to calling her. Even Bolin, for all of his doubts and concerns, had drooled over it when she laid it out on the dining table and demanded that he explain every single tiny detail he could see.

Her worries of being slow and restricted were non-existent as the material wrapped around her felt light and snug. The only downside to it was that she wouldn’t have a plausible excuse if someone caught her with it during laundry day. Korra felt powerful when she put it on, even the texture felt right under her fingertips. Although it felt safe, she wasn’t naïve enough to believe it would keep her from certain death. That was bound to happen sometime in the future, and she wasn’t scared.

Right now, it felt good. Really good.

Especially when her spinning hook kick landed true, knocking lackey #1 out cold before she landed perfectly. The last two men standing were nervous, she could sense it through their shallow breathing and she was sure their fight or flight instincts were about to sink in.

So there was no surprise when they both turned tail and bolted for the exit of the alleyway. She wasn’t even mad about it because it gave her a chance to hurl one of her batons at the first retreating figure, earning a pained shout and then a dull thud as the weapon ricocheted back to her feet.

Ok, that definitely needed a little more work.

Her last escapee had successfully made it out, but she wasn’t too worried since she heard an APB go out for his description and there was already a police car cruising down the block. When there was nothing left for her to do there, she slid the billy club back into its holster and hopped up onto the dumpster to her side. Once she was secure, she jumped and gripped onto the last rung of the ladder attached to the fire escape, steadily climbing up and making her way to the rooftop.

Just as she reached home, her smartwatch vibrated briefly, letting her know it was 11.45pm and that Asami would be here soon. By the time the other woman arrived, Korra had managed to fold her suit semi-neatly into the trunk that lived in the back of her closet and wiped the sweat and grime from her body like she hadn’t been throwing down with criminals all night long.

When they settled onto the couch together, they had agreed to give The Blacklist a go, a show that Opal swore was the greatest thing ever. After the first few seconds, she realised Asami had turned on descriptive audio without being told about it.

And so Korra sat there on the leather cushions in her living area, thinking about the woman who was pressed up into her side. She thought about all the details she noticed, and everything Bolin had told her (like how she always seemed to flip her shiny hair over a shoulder around Korra, the way her lipstick painted lips would curl into pretty smiles, and how she was literally a gorgeous creature – Opal probably taught him that one). A lot of those things were completely irrelevant though since physical attributes meant a whole lot of nothing to her. It was the engineer’s actions and character that she admired and was counting in her mind.

Because as much as she let Asami think she had no idea what was happening between them, it was one of the first things she had observed, the interest, the fondness, the heat. Korra couldn’t remember feeling so much for someone so quickly, or ever, really. It was a little overwhelming to say the least and she probably could’ve spent the rest of the night turning these thoughts round and round when a gentle weight on her shoulder stopped them all.

Asami had fallen asleep on her, head tucked into that space between her neck and shoulder, and the gentle puffs of air against her throat was louder than the car explosion playing on the TV screen. It was as calming as it was deafening, calm enough for her to rest a hand on the slack knee beside her own.

There wasn’t much that could ruin the smile Korra was sporting, not even the vibration of her phone followed by a voice telling her she had one new text message from Bolin. She chose to listen to it.

_“Korra, exclamation mark. I tried not to text for the first hour so that I didn’t kill the vibe between you and Asami, two women holding hands emoji. You need to tell me everything, exclamation mark. But not if you do the dirty, water droplets emoji, peach emoji, you know cause you’re my sister from another mister, full stop. Text me back, thumbs up emoji.”_

-

Their late dinner at Narook’s had been fantastic, even if it was only meant to be a quick catch up they managed to squeeze in between the meetings on top of meetings that Asami was drowning under. They had been seeing each other more frequently after they woke up together from that failed Netflix binge session. Although Korra didn’t seem to be in a rush to put a label on things, Asami was happy for the younger woman to set the pace between them.

She knew they were headed in a certain direction when the author grasped her hand for the first time, refusing to let go till one of them needed the bathroom, and when she had leaned down to kiss Korra a month ago because she kept apologising for being late.

Tonight, it felt different. There was this energy between them that Asami felt keenly, and the effects were making it known between her legs.

They both had their fair share of moments of lust and temptation, though Korra was always the one to slow them down. To put it bluntly, it left the normally put-together woman a complete mess that Opal thoroughly enjoyed poking fun at. Yes, she adored the way those strong fingers always found her hips and the feel of wet lips at the top of her chest, but she wanted _more_. She wanted to know what it felt like to writhe underneath that fit body and taste herself on Korra's tongue.

She also had a sneaking suspicion that the dark skinned woman was in the same boat as her if the way she kept finding ways to touch her was any indication. She wasn’t wrong when she went in for a goodnight kiss, and ended up being pulled into Korra’s loft instead.

The door slammed shut behind them and the shorter woman was on her in a flash, touching her thighs and breathing heavily against her skin. Asami’s blazer was pushed off her shoulders in a hurry and the buttons of her blouse were mostly yanked apart by force. Her pencil skirt was already unzipped at the back, and she had no idea when that even happened.

“Korra,” She started, her head titled back to make room for the bruising kisses that were being dotted along her neck.

“Korra.” This time, Asami was firmer in the way she stilled the hungry hands against her body.

“I love the enthusiasm, babe, but are you sure?” She whispered.

Korra pulled back and blinked those dark blue eyes at her. “Call me that again and I won’t be able to control what I do to you.”

Asami couldn’t help the smile that took over her face even as she shook her head.

“As cute as that was, I’m being serious. If you want to take it slow, I’d be happy to snuggle up on the couch or something.”

The younger of the two tilted her face down to where their hands were joined, and ran her thumbs along Asami’s knuckles reverently a few times.

“I know I’ve been a bit of a dick recently because I refused to call it for what it was, and I’m sorry. I just, I’ve never had someone who cared about me besides Bolin. I was hell bent on not needing anyone before this, or well, before you…” Korra trailed off, seemingly unable to find the right words.

It was such a tender moment where Korra let herself be vulnerable and the engineer couldn’t look away. Asami pitched forward to rest her forehead against Korra’s and stepped even closer so that there was no more space between them.

“I’m terrified too, but you’re worth it.”

“Spirits, stop being so perfect.”

The warmth and tension snapped back into place at those breathy words, and Asami bit at her bottom lip until it hurt.

“Make me.”

-

The bed dipped behind her shortly after the tap in the ensuite was turned off and Korra almost went back to sleep. She couldn’t though because the arms that snaked around her waist wasn’t enough. Wordlessly, she turned into Asami and rested her palm across the bare stomach on offer, running her fingertips up and then back down. She was never too fond of physical contact, even more so after the accident that took away her sight and left her an orphan, yet it wasn't stifling with Asami.

It didn’t make her feel that small prickle of annoyance that happened often in public when people tried to be nice in the wrong way. No, with the woman beside her, it was quiet, earnest and something that she craved.

Korra also relished the way Asami reacted to her touch, how she could feel the goosebumps along her smooth skin and how she enjoyed the noises that came with it. And like that, all the drowsiness she felt was wiped clean. Now the only thing she wanted was to hear Asami moan and gasp like she meant it. So she reached for a shapely hip and pulled towards her, smirking when a sharp intake of breath reached her ears and Asami was rolled on top of her.

“I have an early start tomorrow.” It was the flimsiest excuse that held no weight at all, and they both knew it.

Korra splayed her hands on the naked thighs that were bracketing her body and squeezed.

“I know. I want to taste you again. Please?”

Asami didn’t need any more encouragement as she was guided all the way up, her knees pressing down on either side of Korra’s head as her hands securely gripped the headboard.

“Do you want my fingers too?”

There was an airy chuckle from above,

“Korra, I still need to walk.”

“Just checking.” She mumbled, nosing at Asami’s inner thigh.

“There are better things for you to do with that mouth.”

Korra didn’t mean to take that as challenge of any kind, it was just that when she had licked into Asami for the first time, she was a goner. Sure, she liked being on the receiving end during trysts, yet feeling her way around a body and bringing somebody to their knees with her mouth did so much more for her. And she didn’t stop until her lover was shaking and screaming, smearing across her cheeks and making a mess all over her chin.

When Korra woke up next, she was still in her singlet and briefs from the night before, and she could hear sounds from the kitchen. Her body ached in the best of ways and the room still smelt of their coupling, making her lips curl into a lazy grin.

After reaching for her phone to check the time, she reluctantly made her way to the ensuite to brush her teeth. As she stood in front of the sink, she felt at the scars hidden underneath her shirt self-consciously. She had kept it on last night while Asami bared it all, hesitant to take it off in case questions followed. The woman had respected that fully and didn’t push, but she was also a literal genius and the clock was now ticking.

With another deep breath and a shake of the head, she decided she wasn’t going to think about that when she had better things to focus on.

Things like Asami Sato and the smell of fresh roasted coffee that was waiting for her.

-

“You do know that Bolin has a big mouth, right?”

Asami arched a brow at her best friend as she took a bite from her plate of pasta and chewed slowly.

“I’m aware.” She replied.

“So you know that I know you were at Korra’s.”

“Let me see the text he sent.”

“It’s cute that you think he only sent one.” Opal smirked as she slid her phone over.

_‘Baby, call me!’_

_‘No wait don’t, I’ll explain.’_

_‘I’m not sorry for this so I went over to Korra’s because she wouldn’t answer my texts and I wanted to see my best friend since we missed that dinner anyway when she opened the door for me the entire loft reeked of sex and she had all the bruises in the world on her neck and throat like she was a camo pattern I think it was Asami if it wasn’t Asami I’ll be really shattered and I’m going to have some words with Korra it won’t be pretty but she might also hit me’_

_‘I found lipstick on the coffee cup in the sink IT’S ASAMI! THIS IS A GREAT DAY’_

_‘Pls pat Asami on the back for me! Also I miss you and good morning!’_

The CEO had a look on her face that was a mix between amusement and fondness that eventually gave way to a smile.

“I won’t lie, that mini essay with no punctuation was awful, but Bolin’s a sweetheart.”

“He is, and don’t change the subject. I now also know the real reason you were walking funny, which had nothing to do with your heels and everything to do with Korra.”

Opal was relentless, it was both a blessing and a curse. Then again, she didn’t expect anything less from the woman she’d known since college. The two of them had stuck with each other through family dramas, terrible break ups and everything else in between, and this wasn’t going to be any different.

Asami put her fork down, finished the last of her white wine and then braced herself.

“Yes, I stayed the night at Korra’s and we had sex. Yes, it was earth shattering and yes, we’re officially dating now.” She ticked off a mental check list as she went.

When the older woman finally looked at her friend, Opal's eyes were shining proudly.

“I’m so happy for you, ‘Sami, Korra’s great. You balance each other out so well, it’s kind of nauseating. And, you know, there’s only so many times I can watch you bat your lashes at her.”

“Thanks, Ope.” Asami chuckled while sporting a blush on her fair cheeks.

After lunch was over, she split with Opal who got off on the 12th floor for the marketing department while Asami waited to reach the top floor. She felt lighter now that her best friend knew, not that she would’ve kept it from her anyway, she just happened to be a step ahead. Regardless, it was shaping up to be a good Thursday which was her least favourite day of the week.

When she made it back to her office, prepared to dig into the stack of business proposals on her desk, her phone chimed once.

It was a text from Korra.

_‘Can’t stop thinking about you.’_

It made Asami gnaw at her lip because she kept replaying every single touch between them as well, none of which were appropriate to think about in the workplace. That didn’t stop her from closing her eyes and remembering the way Korra spent what felt like hours worshipping her breasts and how she had touched every inch of her heated skin. She also savoured the way Korra had looked up at her as she sat on her lap and took what she wanted, again and again-

A couple of hesitant knocks to the glass door shook her from her reverie and Asami cleared her throat, pushing her hair back over one shoulder.

“Come in.” She called out.

Emily, her personal assistant, stuck her head in with a grave look on her face that made Asami want to groan.

“Ms Sato, Varrick would like a meeting with you urgently and can’t seem to wait until next Friday when you have a free slot. He’s been ranting at me for the past 15 minutes.”

“Put him though and please make sure you leave the office on time tonight for your date with Charlie.”

“Thank you, Ms Sato.” The middle-aged woman smiled gratefully.

Once she was alone again, she shot off a quick reply to her girlfriend and exhaled deeply as she picked up the landline phone. Varrick wasn’t going to like what she was going to say, and she was looking forward to hanging up on him because she knew he needed her more than she needed him.

-

Korra realised she had grossly miscalculated Amon the moment she arrived at the warehouse by the docks. The number of footfalls didn’t match up to what she had been expecting, and the guards weren’t where they were two nights ago or in any formation she had memorised over the weeks.

Under any other circumstance, she would’ve retreated to work out a better game plan, but the shipment she had heard about was here, and this was her only chance before it got moved. She needed to know what the Equalists were hiding and where they’d be going next.

She headed in anyway and flattened herself against the wall to hide her figure better as she cleared the closest closed off area. And really, it was inevitable that the first henchman found her trying to pry one of the wooden crates open and literally dived at her. Korra sidestepped and then swept his legs out from underneath his frame, causing him to land on his back with a grunt. There was no mercy as she delivered a swift strike to his temple, leaving him unconscious on the dirty floor.

Within seconds, the sounds of heavy boots and breathing came closer and closer until she knew she was surrounded, outnumbered 7 to 1. She also knew there were more of them waiting outside, and one of them was probably Amon. Sometimes, it was moments like these that she wished she listened to her brain more.

Slowly, Korra stepped over the body by her feet and curled her fingers around her batons, ready for the first attack. The goon to her left immediately took a wide swing at her and she swivelled to the side to retaliate with a push kick that sent him reeling backwards. Then they all charged in unison where she was forced into defence, throwing elbows and knees in between the onslaught of hits. She aimed for the liver, the kidney, the chin and broke a few bones just as she took countless blows to her body. And when she was the last one standing, her breaths were ragged and coarse.

She licked her split lip and spat out the blood swirling around in her mouth as she tried to psych herself up to do it all over again with the group outside.

“You got this, Asami gave you fucking _horns_.” She muttered, flexing her gloved fingers.

The Daredevil didn’t have it in the bag, and Korra was sure Asami would have her head too.

Sure, she had made it out of the warehouse, so did a number of the Equalists bar Amon. That monster of a man would stay out cold up till the early hours of the morning, where the feds would find him with all the proof they needed to put him away.

In the process of taking him down, Korra had received one of the worst beatings of her life. The suit her girlfriend made held up against knuckles, switchblades and a number of stray bullets, though it wasn’t indestructible. Being pelted with metal rods all over wasn’t as epic as it looked in videogames, and there were parts of her that felt completely numb as she struggled down the streets of New York.

As soon as she reached the quieter neighbourhood, she headed for the fifth house on the second street and pulled open the garage door she knew would be unlocked. It seemed that was also the extent of pain and exertion her body could handle as her legs buckled. She was aware that she was making a mess of the engineer’s chaotically organised garage when she collided with the rolling tool bench, sending a heap of things to the ground. She could feel objects dropping and sense the vibrations of each motion like they were rattling inside her brain. Outside of that, she couldn’t hear much considering the ringing in her ears hadn’t stopped since Amon bought out those shock gloves. She couldn’t monitor her own breathing or heart rate and could barely control her muscles that were still spasming and made her feel like lead.

Becoming her alter ego had taken so much time, pain, and a whole lot of effort. She was the Daredevil, protector of Hell’s Kitchen and the woman with no fear. Except that wasn’t exactly true anymore, because she was scared she could lose Asami. They hadn’t been together for long, but there was no mistaking what was between them and if this was her last night on Earth, Asami deserved to know the truth.

Korra pushed herself away from the now bloodied surface for a few seconds in an attempt to steady herself, and ended up collapsing onto a well-placed stool. It wouldn’t take much for her to topple. The only thing she knew was that she was on the verge of passing out and she wasn’t even remotely close to where she needed to be.

Footsteps. There were footsteps. They were close by, though the rhythm of them eventually stopped, and Korra realised that Asami Sato had found her.

With whatever strength she could still muster, Korra weakly wrenched the helmet from her face as her legs finally gave out. The floor sent chills all over her body even through her suit, and the taste of blood in her throat was all the more pungent.

“Hey ‘Sami.” She managed to murmur just as her world went silent.

-

Asami became the CEO of Future Industries before she was ready to lead, and that was at the young age of 24. She had no choice but to take the reins of the multi-million-dollar corporation when her father passed away in a cruel accident. So she dropped her own passion projects and took on the role that would’ve been handed down to her later in life anyway and she ran with it.

In her first 12 months, she was quick to learn that being one of few women in a male dominated field was as demanding as it sounded. The shareholders looked down on her because she was young, the executives thought she was just another pretty face, and their competition were all having the time of their lives because of it. After putting in all her time and effort into the corporation, she was able to throw the results and profits at the board to command the respect she deserved from them. And through it all, she had gained some valuable skills that helped her become the adult she was now at 31.

Things like being highly perceptive without revealing her hand, and having incredible patience that couldn’t be manipulated easily. There were often situations she dealt with which required a level head and a sharp mind where empathy had no place. Yet Asami was never built to be unfeeling or unkind.

That was also precisely why she couldn’t find it in herself to be truly angry at Korra.

She had had her suspicions that Korra and Daredevil were one in the same for a while, and she was proven right. The signs had been there, the most obvious being the injuries that bloomed across her skin after each ‘boxing’ or ‘gym’ session. Asami thought about some of the moments where even she was surprised because Korra simply _knew_ things. She also remembered all the times they had been intimate and how the younger woman almost always refused to be topless unless the lights were off. Even then, Asami rarely had the chance to simply explore her body the way she wanted to.

Now she was sure that while Korra was self-conscious about herself, it wasn’t that she was uncomfortable being naked, it was the scars. The marks and blemishes that she had seen the second time they met as the engineer and Daredevil. Thinking about it further, it made her heart ache heavily for her girlfriend who had endured so much hurt to protect the city.

Yeah, it was great that Amon would be thrown behind bars, and because the police found one of Daredevil’s batons at the scene, she was hailed a hero, but _Korra_ was still unresponsive after 3 days. Korra, who had broken ribs, a concussion, stab wounds and had been shocked by electricity enough to cause a seizure.

When Asami had called Bolin that night, she had simultaneously been calm and terrified. She gave him a set of instructions, hung up, then dropped her phone to the floor in favour of pulling off her hoodie she had stolen from Korra to stem the bleeding. That was how Bolin found them when his car screeched to a stop outside her house 10 minutes later. Another 3 long minutes after that, a second car arrived and a young woman stepped out with a full duffle and an esky.

The normally jovial man practically shoved the nameless woman inside the garage and yanked the gate down for privacy.

Asami watched as Bolin took one look at his best friend before his chin started to quiver.

“Save her, Jinora. I don’t care how you do it, just do it.” He ordered.

It had taken hours until Korra was deemed safe. For Asami and Bolin, it was hours of pacing, hovering and anguish as they watched Jinora work. If she was annoyed at having not one, but two people breathing down her neck, she didn’t say anything about it. Instead, she methodically cleaned and stitched up the infamous Daredevil, and made sure she had enough blood back in her body seeing as a fair amount of it was on the floor.

When it was safe to do so, Bolin had picked Korra up and cradled her so gently in his arms as he carried his best friend to Asami’s bedroom. After that, the both of them refused to leave her side unless it was to wash up or force some food into their stomachs. It was mainly silent as they waited for Korra to wake up except for that second night. Bolin was as tired as she was when he suddenly sat on the carpet by her chair and glanced up at her with wet eyes that wanted to overflow.

“Please don’t be mad at her, Asami. Korra's been wanting to tell you about it but she needed Amon out of the picture first. Then you know, she went to be her usual brave and stupid self, and kaboom.” He mimed an explosion with his hands slowly.

He was so sincere and hopeful that she could only smile at him as _she_ cried.

“Korra and I will be alright. We’ll need to have an honest talk, but we'll be ok, I promise.”

Bolin nodded vigorously, and because this experience brought them together in a way nobody else could understand, she guided his head to rest against the side of her thigh and played with his hair, making braids where she could.

On the third afternoon, Opal had dropped off some home cooked meals for them along with a tender kiss for Bolin. The least Asami could do was banish them to the lounge so they could catch up. She stayed in the room with Korra’s still form and applied some lip balm to her girlfriend's mouth, knowing she hated it when they were chapped. As she began to lean back in her seat, a quiet groan made her freeze. There was a shuffle, followed by another grunt from Korra that finally made Asami fall to her knees beside the bed, being extra careful not to touch Korra yet.

“Sweetie, it’s me, you’re at my house. How do you feel?” She kept her voice even and soft.

“’Sami, it feels like a truck ran over me then stomped on reverse...” The words came out weak and gravelly, but Korra's sense of humour was clearly still intact.

-

She followed the sounds of a whirring machine and the odd clunk and racket until she arrived at the entrance of the garage. Further in, Asami was standing by the bandsaw, running a block of metal through the blade in a clean cut, coming away with the smaller piece. Korra stayed quiet and simply leaned her head against the doorway, finding comfort in the steady heartbeat that echoed in her ears from across the room.

“Korra, stop stalking me and come in.”

The younger of the two frowned at that as she took off her helmet and yanked the cowl down with practiced ease.

“I don’t stalk.” She muttered as she finally stepped into her girlfriend’s space and wrapped both arms around a thin waist.

“We can agree to disagree if you kiss me.” Asami laughed good naturedly, pressing her nose to Korra’s teasingly.

The woman leaned in the rest of way to steal her lips into a soft kiss, a gloved hand coming up to cup the side of Asami’s neck. And with a tilt of the head, she deepened the kiss, all tongue and utterly filthy. Asami kept up for a few moments before reluctantly pulling back with a wet smack of their mouths.

She pressed a hand to Korra’s chest to stop her from coming back for more.

“You did something.” The engineer stated, knowing her partner more than well enough by this point.

Korra had the decency to look a little sheepish as she poked at the holster on her left thigh which was cracked through and barely able to hold the batons in place. The weapon itself was less damaged, minus the scratches and a large dent, yet Korra handed both of them over to her girlfriend.

“I’m sorry, ‘Sami.”

“Korra, I just replaced these 6 months ago after what happened at the docks!” The older woman scolded.

“I know, but imagine if you weren’t the one who made them, right? I only trust you for this.”

“Sweet talker.”

“I’ll make it up to you.” She was quick to promise.

Asami untangled herself from her to walk over to the cleanest part of the workbench that ran along the wall and put the holster and batons down gently. She rested the small of her back against the edge and then released her hair from its loose ponytail, flipping her long locks over one shoulder.

It was a move Korra recognised and one that was guaranteed to work on her every single time.

“Well then, you better get started.”

Her voice was electric, and Korra melted in a matter of seconds, stepping up to her lover. She gave no warning as she dragged Asami’s jeans down to her knees then reached for her thighs and lifted until she was seated on the bench.

“I won’t be stopping even if you beg me to.”

“I’m counting on it, sweetie.”

**Author's Note:**

> I’m so late to the Korrasami party I’m kinda mad about it. I literally started this right after I finished the last episode of Legend of Korra and couldn’t get anything else done outside of this. Drop me a comment to let me know your thoughts.


End file.
